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Label:The castle of Brederode stood about three miles from Haarlem and was a deeply evocative reminder of the recent war with Spain. This was not the first time the building had been damaged, as previous wars and invasions had left their marks, but this time the building was completely ruined. By 1650, it stood as a popular landmark for strollers and tourists in the countryside and was frequently reproduced in prints and guides. Typical of Ruisdael's Haarlem-period landscapes, the painting shows a monument outside the city rather than in it.